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As we talked over the phone from L.A. about his gig hosting the Canadian Screen Awards, the noise around the Oscars was still going strong days later.

No, he says, he doubts there’ll be any gags about calling out the wrong winner. “I think everybody may be sick of it already,” he says.

But he had nothing but praise for host Jimmy Kimmel. “I think he was the favourite of all the hosts. Wonderful and seamless.”

Could Mandel use a “designated enemy” like Kimmel had with Matt Damon?

“No, it’s a Canadian awards show. Maybe I just need someone to say sorry to repeatedly.

“My favourite thing to do is standup, because it’s immediate,” he says. “There are no rules, no marks to hit, no editing to do.

“That’s why I’m looking forward to the CSAs because they’re live, anything can happen. Just like the Academy Awards. You don’t hope for those things to happen, but you’re in the moment and I like that kind of danger.”

Mandel’s actual physical time commitment to the CSAs is limited, given that he’s begun taping another season of America’s Got Talent, with fellow judges Simon Cowell, Mel B. and Heidi Klum. He’ll arrive the day before showtime, for rehearsal.

But his prep has been considerable. “I’ve been watching screeners and tapes and streams online with everything that’s nominated. Obviously as the host, I don’t want them just to be titles to me. I want them to be things I’ve seen and watched and am aware of. I don’t want to just read titles off a teleprompter.”

A lot of it is already available to him as a U.S. cable viewer, like Orphan Black (BBC America) and Vikings (History Channel).

“Schitt’s Creek, that is on here on (the cable channel) Pop. It’s going into a third season. I’m a huge Eugene fan and his son (series creator Dan Levy) is doing a great job.

“Kim’s Convenience is also really funny.

“I’m never surprised that something is good and that it’s also Canadian,” Mandel says. “I’m only surprised that something is good and people aren’t aware it was made in Canada by Canadians. I think we are the most humble nation in the world.”

The CSAs and America’s Got Talent couldn’t be more different gigs, he says. “For the CSAs I’m working and making notes and doing homework, being prepared.

“For AGT I show up and watch a show and tell people what I think of their show. We’re doing the exact same thing that a guy at home in his underpants is doing. The only difference is I got pants and a paycheque.”

He’s also staying busy on the production side of things. Mandel is executive producer of Caraoke Showdown on Spike TV, a twist on Cash Cab in which people who think they’re being picked up by an Uber are made to sing for money for host Craig Robinson.

The premise puts people in mind of James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, which Mandel is quick to dispel. “There’s no similarity whatsoever except they’re both in a car,” he says.

“Carpool Karaoke is another place for (Corden) to sing along and interview celebrities – which is totally different from a game show. And he has professional singers, whereas on our show, most of the singing is horrible which makes for better television.”

It’s one of about 20 shows Mandel’s production company has on its slate. “Some of them are in the pilot stage, some of them are getting written. Some of them are sold but, we don’t know when they’ll be on.”

And none of them, at this point, stars Howie Mandel.

“I prefer it. I love being behind the scenes,” he says. “You have an idea in a room with a buddy. Cut to a year or two later, there’s 200 people on a set working to bring it to fruition. It’s amazing.”